Frequently Asked Questions

Cost, Top-ups, and Accounting Questions

How much does it cost?

The charges for using phone2park are small transaction fees incurred when you use the phone2park system. The phone2park fee for payment is 40 cents if you use texting and a 6% fee (based on the cost of parking) when you use the app. Texting also incurs a 20 cent text charge from your mobile service provider which they will charge to your mobile phone account (also see below).

The ‘underlying’ Wellington City Council parking charge remains the same as if you had paid cash for your parking.

With phone2park there is no joining fee or bond [but you must make an initial payment into your phone2park account ]. Top-up charges are incurred if you use a credit card to top-up your account.

Top-up charges are necessary for us to recover the cost of using online credit card payment services, and we keep these fees to a minimum. There are no top-up charges if you top up using internet banking.

Stopping payment by either texting STOP or using the stop button in the App, to claim for unused parking, should make phone2park not only the most convenient but also the cheapest method of paying for your parking.

Claiming parking as a business expense is easy as all your parking transactions are held online in your phone2park account. A receipt (tax invoice) covering any time period can be downloaded at any time.The App is cheaper to use than texting; as reminders and stops are free and there are no text charges on your mobile provider bill.

For more information (including a description of all fees) see the Charges page.

Why is the App cheaper to use than texting?

Using the App is cheaper than texting because reminders and stops are free and there is no charge for texting on your mobile bill.

How do I update my credit card details?

Log into My Account using your email address and password, then click on ’Update Credit card’ and follow the instructions. This will update your credit card details held by Direct Payment Solutions (DPS - see also below).

Parking Solutions does not hold your credit card number on its servers. The credit card number is processed by DPS, an accredited credit card processing company. However Parking Solutions does hold your credit card expiry date so that we can remind you when your card expires.

Why has my credit card payment been declined?

The most common reason for a credit card to be declined is because it has expired. You will need to make a credit card payment using your new card in order to renew your credit card details including the new expiry date.

It is also possible that your credit card provider has put a temporary or permanent hold on your card if they have detected transactions which indicate the possibility that your card or its details have been stolen. It is also possible that your available credit has been exceeded. In any of these instances you will need to contact your credit card provider so that you can continue to use your card.

Occasionally internet connectivity problems impact on the ability of our online credit card provider to verify and/or transact your requested credit card transaction. In this instance it is best to simply wait and try again at a later time.

Parking Solutions does not hold your credit card number on its servers. The credit card number is processed by, DPS, an accredited credit card processing company. However Parking solutions does hold your credit card expiry date so that we can remind you when your card expires.

Why has my online banking topup not gone through immediately?

Your topup will usually go through on the business day immediately following your deposit. We process online banking topups every morning around 8am.

Why has my balance not increased by $30 after I topped up by $30 using my credit card?

If you use a credit card to top-up your account then top-up charges are incurred.

Top-up charges enable us to recover the cost of using online credit card payment services. As our customer numbers increase the charges from our online payment service suppliers should decrease, which will enable us to reduce these fees.

What is my Account Number and what is it used for?

Your Account Number is a unique number identifying your phone2park account. It is of the format '10000XYZ'.When you top up using online banking you must use your Account Number in the the payee Particulars field so that phone2park can correctly credit your account.

Where do I find GST invoices and financial statements for my parking expenses?

When you log into My Account you will find buttons for both ‘statements’ and ‘invoices’.

Your statement is a complete financial statement listing all your accounts financial transactions in chronological order. The invoice is a GST invoice for the previous whole month. You can also select GST invoices for previous months and download GST invoices as pdf files.

Can I expense my top-up payments as opposed to my individual parking and transaction fees?

Your statement is a complete financial statement listing all your accounts financial transactions in chronological order. The invoice is a GST invoice for the previous whole month.

Your phone2park balance is a debt owed by phone2park to you. Expensing top-up payments would be expensing money before it is spent and would be contrary to NZ GST legislation, but of course you can expense your actual parking and transaction fees.

Using phone2park

What do I text to pay for my parking?

If you only have one vehicle, just txt P60 W01 to 8441 to park for 60 minutes in zone W01, starting from the time we receive the text.

Note that the 0 in W01 is a ZERO not the letter 'O'.

Make sure you send the txt from a mobile phone number which is registered on your account, so we can identify your account and vehicle.

If you have more than one vehicle, simply include the numberplate in the txt.

How do I know that I have successfully paid for my parking?

Receipt of this message is important as it confirms that your parking is paid for, which vehicle has been parked, and when your parking expires. You cannot assume that your parking is paid for until you have received this message.

When parking by txt, you should receive the confirmation txt message within a few seconds. If there is a problem with the mobile network, it can take up to a few minutes to get a confirmation txt.

When parking with the app, the timer will start counting down after you see the confirmation message, The exception is when you use coupon parking, as coupon parking covers the whole day.

If you are ever unsure about your park, you can txt STATUS to 8441 to check.

How do I tell what parking zone I am parking in?

The parking zone is easy to find. It is displayed on large yellow signs which are on all the pay-and-display machines. (Remember you don't have to use these machines if you park using phone2park!).

When you park using phone2park, your text should tell us which parking zone you are parking in.

Txting P30 W01 tells us that you are parking in zone W01 for 30 minutes.The parking zone for Coupon Parking is W13.

Why did I get the reply to my payment text 'Sorry, phone2park did not recognise your mobile number'?

If you get the message ‘Sorry, phone2park did not recognise your mobile number’ then your mobile phone number is not registered correctly on your account. A common cause is making a typo when entering your mobile number.

Phone numbers registered overseas or mobile phones with Caller Line ID turned off can not be used with phone2park. Omit +64 (NZ country code).

What do I do if I don't get a response to my payment text?

If you do not receive a confirmation text then text STATUS to 8441 for an update of your parking status. If you still don’t get a reply then please call 0508 900 968 (our free calling number). You can also use the App as an alternative method of paying for parking.

How does Coupon parking work?

You can use phone2park to pay for Coupon Parking.

When parking by txt, simply txt W13 or COUPON to 8441.

When parking using the App, select W13 (coupon parking zone).

For coupon parking you do not need to specify any time since the coupon parking fee pays for a whole days parking.

How does the warden know that I have paid for my parking?

After they scan your numberplate, they will see that your vehicle has a current phone2park parking event, the time the park was started, and the zone.

Vehicles and Displays

Can I have more than one vehicle or more than one mobile phone registered with my phone2park account?

Yes, you can. phone2park accounts can have more than one vehicle and more than one mobile phone. New vehicles and mobile phones can both be added using My Account.

How do I park if I have multiple vehicles?

If more than one vehicle is registered on your account, phone2park needs to be able to tell which vehicle to park.

We recommend that users with multiple vehicles use the phone2park app, which makes it is easy to select the vehicle you want to park.

If parking by txt, you can add a default vehicle for each mobile phone. This is managed in My Account. When a payment text such as P120 W01 is received for that phone, the default vehicle will be parked.

If you have not set a default vehicle, or you want to park another vehicle on your account, you must include the numberplate of the vehicle being parked. For instance to park a vehicle with numberplate ECTO1, you would txt ECTO1 P120 W01.

I have changed my car. What do I need to do?

If you have changed your car (or changed the registration plate), you should log into My Account and click on ‘Add/Edit Vehicle’. Then you can remove the old vehicle registration number (numberplate), and add the new one.

Your registration plate number is what the Wardens use to check that you are paying for parking, so it is important to check that it is correct.

General Questions

I have forgotten my password and/or email. What do I do?

If you have forgottten your email address, please email info@parkingsolutions.co.nz and include your mobile number and account number so that we can find your account. We will then send you a reply advising your correct email address.

You can change your email address by logging into My Account, then clicking 'Edit Personal Details'. Correct the email address and click Save Changes. The next time you log into your phone2park account, remember to use your new email address.

How do I install the App?

I have got a parking ticket after using phone2park. What do I do?

Incorrectly issued tickets are rare but if you have got an incorrect parking ticket while using phone2park please email info@parkingsolutions.co.nz with a scanned copy of the ticket and we will apply for the ticket to be waived on your behalf.

You can also send us a photo of your ticket by logging into My Account and clicking 'Ticket Assistant'.

Why can’t I set up a default vehicle for my mobile number?

If you cannot choose a default vehicle for your mobile number, it is because your mobile number is associated with another phone2park account and has a default vehicle on that account.

You can either delete the phone number in the old account, or send an email to info@parkingsolutions.co.nz describing the problem. Please include your mobile number or account number so we can identify you.

How do I close my account?

If you wish to close your account, please send us a request by email at info@parkingsolutions.co.nz. Please include a bank account number so we can refund you the remaining balance of your account.

There is a $2.50 account closure fee which will be deducted from your account balance. For more information about our fees see the Charges page.